Bloody hell I hadn't noticed the connected blades! I was talking to someone about this very thing last week - some people are maybe aware of those little upturned wings at the tips of the main wings on large passenger aeroplanes. Well those are to reduce turbulence and increase fuel efficiency, they work becuase nature of a wing means that a large vortex of turbulence builds and runs off the tip of the wing. The longer the wing, the bigger the vortex, the small vertical wing disrupts the vortex and makes it much smaller. Hence less drag and better fuel efficincy.

For fans, if the same principle is applied and the design is executed correctly this might mean less turbulence at the tip of the fan. Less turbulence = less noise! I think I'm going to order some of these this month if I can - I've got a couple of systems I need to build and I've been putting it off for ages.

I was going to buy the Noiseblocker multifram version first but these sure look interesting. I believe Noiseblocker is trying to be a leader in their industry and therefore i do not believe they would release a new product that is inferior to the multiframe fans. I do however se that the new NB-eLoop fans have mounting dampening that seem to be of inferior quality ot the multiframe ones, i will report back on the fans as soon as i get a hold of them.

I was going to buy the Noiseblocker multifram version first but these sure look interesting. I believe Noiseblocker is trying to be a leader in their industry and therefore i do not believe they would release a new product that is inferior to the multiframe fans. I do however se that the new NB-eLoop fans have mounting dampening that seem to be of inferior quality ot the multiframe ones, i will report back on the fans as soon as i get a hold of them.

Hopefully i will not have to wait too long.

Had to post some pics of my new NB-eLoop. Its 2x120 800rpm fans specified at 7,8db. Havent had a chance to actually try them out yet, maybe tomorrow evening.

And the other side of it. Yes the blades are all connected at the end. Also there are small indents on the blades at the side that will blow out the air.

Everything about this feels high quality like Noctua back in the day. There are rubber edges that can be pushed out from the inside at both sides of the fan but i am not convinced it works flawlessly.

Good thing is that unlike the Scythe Gentle Typhoon and the Nexus real silent these seem to have optimal design for using mounting wire on CPU heatsink like the Noctua NH-P12.

Uppdate: I ordered and received the Noiseblocker eLoop B2-1 which are supossed to run at 800rpm. They only run at 600rpm@12v according to fan xpert2 and i believe it to be right considering there is a big difference in airflow compared to the Scythe Gentle Typhoon 800rpm. I am not sure where to go from here but i am going to contact Noiseblocker directly and let them know of the bad rpm.

It seems to segment their product line oddly, though. Before, it was BlackSilent = basic, BlackSilentPRO = high-end, and Multiframe = extreme high end.

Now these eLoop fans look fantastic, soooo beautiful, but ultimately... are they as good as Multiframe? The same level as BlackSilentPro? Do they fulfill some other odd niche? It's not clear. Someone needs to do a careful cross-comparison with objective data and give a sense of what the point of this series is.

The reply i got from Noiseblocker on why the fans only run at 600rpm instead of the specified 800rpm is that they need to be run for 24h before the reach their max speed. I find this odd considering SPCR did a review of the Noiseblocker multiframe and didn't say anything about loong timeframe to reach max speed.

I am going to try and install the fans again this week and run for 24-48h but i am doubtful it will work. I think its just a matter of bad manufacturing samples. I did buy 2 so its odd both had this problem.

I had issues with RPM wiht noiseblockers also, the NB S1 are suppose to be 750rpm fans, but all 7 that i bought ran at 850rpm at 12v in 2 different mobos. Not a big deal as the fans are still one of the best i have used, but the problem is that they dont run not advertised speed.

I had issues with RPM wiht noiseblockers also, the NB S1 are suppose to be 750rpm fans, but all 7 that i bought ran at 850rpm at 12v in 2 different mobos. Not a big deal as the fans are still one of the best i have used, but the problem is that they dont run not advertised speed.

I wouldnt mind if my noiseblockers ran on 900-1000rpm instead of the advertised 800rpm but with a max of 600rpm its just not enough. The Scythe Gentle Typhoons are inaudible at 800-900rpm(12v), so should the Noiseblockers, but i cant get the Noiseblockers up to advertised 800rpm.

Any update on the speed? I don't really buy the 24 hours excuse, seems sketchy, but out of curiosity have you tried running them for one or two days straight? These fans look interesting, but not if they run at 600rpm, 800-1000 is ideal in my experiences, 600 is too slow when my computer is pushed to its limits.

Any update on the speed? I don't really buy the 24 hours excuse, seems sketchy, but out of curiosity have you tried running them for one or two days straight? These fans look interesting, but not if they run at 600rpm, 800-1000 is ideal in my experiences, 600 is too slow when my computer is pushed to its limits.

Fact is i never tried them for 24h since it was kind of a riddicolous argument. I have never heard this argument elsewhere. Noiseblocker said they would send me replacement fans and i picked the Multifram PS which run at 600rpm - 1500rpm. They will fit nicely as push-pull on my Noctua NH-P12.

I have the TJ08B-E and even thou its not that difficult too work in i rather not put in the eLoops just to try their theory. I will however ask my friend which have the HAF X (i know, crazy case) to install the fans since he also has the fan xpert2 utility.

If they do ramp up to 800rpm after 24h, which i strongly doubt, i will send them to SPCR if they dont already have 2 samples. Sending them back to Noiseblocker is the other option.

To be honest i do believe the eLoops might be very good fans since the build quality is amazing, shame about the bad rpm.

I bought a Noiseblocker NB-eLoop 1900RPM version running @ 1250RPM. At that speed it is still noticeable, but much more pleasant than any other fan I heard before. There is no clicking, no grinding. just a low hum.It's the most pleasant fan I heard so far and one of the quietest. I will buy two 140mm PWM fans for my updated rig when they come out next year.

I bought a Noiseblocker NB-eLoop 1900RPM version running @ 1250RPM. At that speed it is still noticeable, but much more pleasant than any other fan I heard before. There is no clicking, no grinding. just a low hum.It's the most pleasant fan I heard so far and one of the quietest. I will buy two 140mm PWM fans for my updated rig when they come out next year.

Next year Sad, that would be a very long time to wait, especially considering general availability delays.

Any update on the speed? I don't really buy the 24 hours excuse, seems sketchy, but out of curiosity have you tried running them for one or two days straight? These fans look interesting, but not if they run at 600rpm, 800-1000 is ideal in my experiences, 600 is too slow when my computer is pushed to its limits.

Fact is i never tried them for 24h since it was kind of a riddicolous argument. I have never heard this argument elsewhere. Noiseblocker said they would send me replacement fans and i picked the Multifram PS which run at 600rpm - 1500rpm. They will fit nicely as push-pull on my Noctua NH-P12.

I have the TJ08B-E and even thou its not that difficult too work in i rather not put in the eLoops just to try their theory. I will however ask my friend which have the HAF X (i know, crazy case) to install the fans since he also has the fan xpert2 utility.

If they do ramp up to 800rpm after 24h, which i strongly doubt, i will send them to SPCR if they dont already have 2 samples. Sending them back to Noiseblocker is the other option.

To be honest i do believe the eLoops might be very good fans since the build quality is amazing, shame about the bad rpm.

I feel bad quoting my self but i need to get this out there:I put the eLoop fan in my friends computer for 24-48h and did another test in his comp with fan xpert2. 711rpm is the max it reached and that was already after 24h, it didnt increase at all after 24h. So it can be concluded that this series of fans probably are more suited for PWM.

There is no English version on their website yet, and as its PHP Google Translate does not work. Below is the text translated, usualy marketting bullshit mostly.

Bionic Blade (New)

The new design eliminates the tip vortices are formed between the suction and pressure side of the wing tips. The tip vortices are here divided into smaller edge vortex and spread evenly. The resulting sheet at the trailing edge tip vortex can be reduced by vorticity guides to a minimum. The result is a significant improvement in glide ratio which results in a reduction of the aerodynamic flow induced noise and improves energy efficiency.Dust-resistant super smooth surface, original material Bayer Makrolon ®.

* Lageinvariante lubrication and noise reduction of vertical and horizontal operation without an increase in volume * AntiDust technology (completely dust-proof bearings) * Special lubrication with nanotechnology for long life and low operating noise

Probably of more interest to many people if these fans all run below their rated rpm are the models above 800rpm, and their starting voltage as the 800rpm model seems to run between 600-700 rpm and has a starting voltage above 5v which would make undervolting difficult form many people and as worthless for the rest.

There are only 3 models in this list that I would consider, the 800rpm one if it ran at 800rpm, the 1300rpm model as its start voltage is only 3.4v I could reliable run it at a slower speed, and the 400-1500rpm PWM fan.

They certainly look interesting, but I also dont believe that the fans will speed up after a 1-2 days of usage unless they have odd bearings or motors that actually require a "wear-in" period.

These fans in design look almost like version 2 of the "Antec TrueQuiet Pro", somehow more refined and using one of the main principals of reducing turbulence by joining the fan blades together.

I would be very interested in an SPCR review of these fans as well as an answer to the actual rpm issue.

If you look at the bottom of the last graph and point the mouse cursor on the [B12-1] you will see that also runs at ~700 rpm rather than 800rpm, and sadly the [B12-1] is listed as having its lowest speed measuring 700rpm, I was hoping that it might be able to run slower than that.

Also they pointed out odd noise from both of these fans and have suggested that it might be because the fans are unbalanced due to having an "even" number of blades (there is a reason why all PC fans have 3,5,7,9,11 or even more "uneven" numbers of blades), I hadn't even noticed this until I read that there - I was probably mesmerized by the unique design.

I think there is a "problem" with the speed sensor, B12-2 was still spinning till 4V, but it wasn't possible to get a speed return from the fan.

You may be right, although I always thought that the "speed sensor" was actually on the motherboard, and the 3rd fan wire just passed the data across. I have seen fans set to very low speeds attached to a motherboard where the motherboard lists the rpm, and then 0 and so on - although only happened in my experience at extremely low rpm's, far below 700.

If you look at the bottom of the last graph and point the mouse cursor on the [B12-1] you will see that also runs at ~700 rpm rather than 800rpm, and sadly the [B12-1] is listed as having its lowest speed measuring 700rpm, I was hoping that it might be able to run slower than that.

Also they pointed out odd noise from both of these fans and have suggested that it might be because the fans are unbalanced due to having an "even" number of blades (there is a reason why all PC fans have 3,5,7,9,11 or even more "uneven" numbers of blades), I hadn't even noticed this until I read that there - I was probably mesmerized by the unique design.

Andy

Yes its back to the drawing board for the engineers with this series. Good thing for Noiseblocker they have the multiframe to fall back on.

For those who don't like to rely 100% on computer mangling (oops I mean translation), I posted my own slightly improved translation of the hardware.fr review on the OC.net thread here. I'll quote it below. Disclaimer: I speak French, but not natively, so undoubtedly a fluent speaker would take exception to some of my words:

Quote:

...Noiseblocker has taken some risks with the rotor [of the eLoops] by giving them only 6 blades, quite unusually as manufacturers generally prefer to use an odd number of blades to limit undesirable resonances. The blade surface is specially designed to repel dust, and the blades are connected at the tips to reduce turbulence. We will see if that is the case.

...[these fans] use the NB-NanoSLI bearing (in version 2, which includes 2 magnetic bearings, for the B12 models), for a long lifespan (...150,000 h for the B12-2, 160,000 h for the B12-1...). ...the B12 use a third type of frame, partway between [the PL and the MF series], which incorporates silicone anti-vibration corners.

...The B12-1 and B12-2 start at 5.0V and 3.6V, consuming 0.03A (the lowest value of the whole comparison) and and 0.09A, and are available for 17€ [ed. — $21.95 USD, although US domestic sources list them at $22.95]. For some unknown reason, we could not raise their rotational speed under 6.0V.

The performances of the Noiseblockers "could fit in a pocket handkerchief" [ed.—haha, meaning, they are very very close]. All offer a very satisfactory CFM-to-noise ratio, even if none (apart from the B12-1 at less than 650 RPM) approaches our reference fan.

In terms of acoustics... the M12-S2 is irreproachable, but the B12-1 and B12-2 emit disagreeable resonances at certain RPMs (might that only be the influence of the even-bladed rotor?), as shown by their uneven performance curves. Apart from these "critical" RPMs, the B12-1 is irreproachable, but the B12-2 acts a bit like the PL1 and PL2 ["less good" ( note the quotes), with a tiny metal crackling from their motor / bearing, audible at very close distances].

Now, how do the Noiseblockers fare when placed on a radiator? The B12-1 is, surprisingly, the most gifted in this exercise. This is relative, since the CFM it provides remains low, even if above 600 RPM the loss is a little less marked. It is followed closely by the M12-S2 and B12-2, which offer also a relatively low loss of CFM.

It's still a great idea to check out the page itself, as well as the summary graph on the last page of the review.

I recently finished my first build ever, an mATX Hackintosh. My goals were fourfold: near native OS X, powerful, small, and quiet. Since I wouldn't have OS-level fan control, I was going to rely on BIOS-level fan control. My Maximus V Gene is supposed to be able to dial PWM fans down to any level duty cycle, whereas it cannot go below 60% on voltage control. Couple that with the horizontal fan mounts of my Silverstone FT03 and open-corner fan clips on my Venomous X Black, and the Noiseblocker B12-PS looked like a very good gamble.

I used three B12-PS, one M12-PS, and one M8-PS. The B12 fans went into my bottom intake, heatsink pull fan, and case exhaust. The M12-PS went in my center angled intake bracket, which is supposed to be a vibration culprit. The M8-PS was placed in the odd GPU exhaust bracket. I had to mount the B12 exhaust "outside" the case (on the FT03, this is no big deal because a grill goes over the top panel anyway) because otherwise it would interfere with the unusual mPCIe combo card on my motherboard. I've lined the back, front, and one side panel with acoustic foam, but I wasn't hyper-aggressive about noise blocking (this is a very "leaky" case).

Subjective Impressions and Notes

The frame is quite nice, it feels sturdy and looks good. The silicone corner inserts are much less fussy than the multiframes and their loose "faceplate ring;" they effectively cushion the frame against whatever you mount the fan on. The fan screws are in turn threaded through soft silicone inserts, so vibration is not transmitted very easily.

I greatly appreciated the modular cable design, as it meant I could easily choose the right cable length for each fan. For my M8-PS and M12-PS I had to loop excess cable, but for each B12 I was able to use a long or short length where appropriate. The cables are sleeved in black, and I also liked that the white/red cables (on the fan itself, before the modular connector) matched my system colors.

Unfortunately, my motherboard's manual LIES (this is confirmed on the ASUS forum), and PWM fans cannot be set lower than 60% duty cycle. For my B12-PS fans, this equates to ~800±50 RPM.

At that RPM, the B12-PS are certainly "quiet" in a subjective sense (this is in a very quiet room mind you), but they are definitely still audible. The noise characteristic is not bad. Sitting about 1 meter from the exhaust fan, I forget them most of the time. But I wish I could assess how they are at about 500 RPM. Maybe with my next BIOS revision...

Bringing myself much closer (less than half a meter), there is a subtle but audible motor tick noise. It sounds a little bit like a laptop hard drive seek noise, but quite soft. At one meter that noise is virtually inaudible. Again at close distance, if I turn my head 90° so my ear is facing the fan, there is a slight high-pitched overtone at all RPMs. Again, this is not audible at normal sitting distance.

When the fans rev up to ~1150+, the noise becomes a bit more tonal. It's still not bad, and in my computer they only get that high when stress testing with Prime95 or somesuch. Even during games at max settings at 1920x1200, my system doesn't get hot enough to make the fans call attention to themselves.

I wish I had some kind of hard data for you guys, or more valuable opinions (remember this is my first build!). I am aware that these fans have not set new reference levels in tests, and that they have issues in pull configuration. For what it is worth, my B12-PS in pull on the Venomous X doesn't seem to be obviously bad.[/SPOILER]

Summary

PROS:

Look great, unusual design is a conversation piece

Wide PWM range with low min RPM, HOWEVER I was not able to test below 750 RPM due to my mobo's BIOS limits

Easy and effective anti-vibration mounting design

Open corners work with most heatsink fan clips

New bearing is specifically rated to handle horizontal mounting

Modular cable design is a boon to small form factor builders

Pleasing enough tonal character at normal sitting distance

Decent noise-to-CFM

Some anti-dust properties, but I didn't have any practical way to test this

CONS:

COST! These are way too expensive in the USA, and even too expensive in Europe. NB's Multiframe series, which seem to perform better sonically, are already in this stratospheric price tier.

eLoop design seems irrelevant. Cool in theory, but the end result is much like any other premium fan. Other reviews allege that the even-bladed design results in resonance noises, too.

Slight motor tick noise at very close distances

Alleged pull noise; I didn't specifically note this, but it's possible it's getting lost amidst the other fans or subdued by my soundproofing. Or I just am not experienced enough to ID it.

Mild tonal quality at higher RPMs. It's not annoying, but it does exist.

Conclusion

Ultimately I am satisfied with these fans, and I think they were an interesting experiment that works for my build, but I could not recommend them at their current price. At those levels, the Multiframes (or Gentle Typhoons, or other fans) might be a better bet. But if, like me, you are concerned with horizontal mounting, wide-range low-min-RPM PWM function, aesthetics, and case/clip constraints, the B12 series is certainly worth a look.[/quote]

...Wide PWM range with low min RPM, HOWEVER I was not able to test below 750 RPM due to my mobo's BIOS limits...

The solution is to run all the PWM fans as a chain using a splitter cable. This synchronises fan speed according to CPU temperature. It requires a $7 cable from sources such as Newegg Evercool Model EC-DF001 17.72" Supports 5 PWM Fans Black Braided Cable. This cable takes the PWM control signal only from the CPU motherboard header. The power for all of the fans on the chain is drawn direct from the PSU so no current for the chain is drawn from the motherboard at all. In Europe something similar is available under a number of brand names including Akasa and Gelid. Fan chains like this will work on any motherboard where there is a PWM CPU fan header.

...Wide PWM range with low min RPM, HOWEVER I was not able to test below 750 RPM due to my mobo's BIOS limits...

The solution is to run all the PWM fans as a chain using a splitter cable....

Lodestar, thank you but I'm afraid you misunderstand. The limitation is that the board does have PWM headers (in fact all five headers are PWM headers) and it is *SUPPOSED* to run PWM fans down to any level (it specifically says this in the manual), but due to a known oversight/bug the BIOS does not allow you to set any level below 60%, regardless if they are PWM or voltage-controlled fans. In Fan Xpert 2, you CAN run them at any level you want, but that is limited to Windows, and I'm running OS X and am forced to use BIOS control only. I learned of this BIOS issue after the fact and contributed my small voice to the ASUS thread complaining about it, but all I can really do is wait and hope.

Yes, I had heard that some Asus 4 pin CHA_FAN headers do not allow the same flexibility as the CPU fan settings. So what I was assuming was that the CPU_FAN header used with the Silent BIOS profile would allow PWM control down to 20%, as is normal with many recent Asus motherboards. A CPU fan header locked at 60% minimum duty cycle is clearly not very useful. Hopefully Asus will resolve this with a BIOS update shortly.

Yes, I had heard that some Asus 4 pin CHA_FAN headers do not allow the same flexibility as the CPU fan settings. So what I was assuming was that the CPU_FAN header used with the Silent BIOS profile would allow PWM control down to 20%, as is normal with many recent Asus motherboards. A CPU fan header locked at 60% minimum duty cycle is clearly not very useful. Hopefully Asus will resolve this with a BIOS update shortly.

Ah, I see, thank you for responding then. You are correct in that the CPU_FAN and CPU_OPT nominally go down to 20%, although in practice my fans attached to those headers (the M12-PS and B12-PS) don't seem to get to their lowest possible RPMs.* Nevertheless, that is a good possible solution you proposed, to run everything off of the CPU fan headers. My apologies for not picking up on what you were suggesting.

I'll hope for a BIOS rev., but I'll also consider branching all my fans off of the CPU header. Cheers,—G

*I have a theory that ASUS's "% duty cycle" translates to Noiseblockers's PWM function as "% of possible RPMs" - so 0% would mean about 500 RPM, not 0 RPM. This gels with my experimental min RPM of about 725 RPM, which would be ~20% of 1000 RPM over 500 (usable range 500 to 1500 RPM means duty cycle would comprise a 1000 RPM range, 20% of which would be 200 RPM, leading to 500+200=700 min RPM).

The review on OC.net isn't ideal because these fans are strictly single purpose push fans. As soon as there is something disturbing airflow less than 1cm in front of the fan, like a fan grate, a dust filter or a heatsink they can drone. If used in a push configuration I found you can run them ~300RPM faster than other fans at the same noise level.This information is from the German forum hardwareluxx where the manufacturer answers user questions.

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